Feedback: guides-v2_to_v3_migration_js

Documentation Feedback

Original URL: https://www.assemblyai.com/docs/guides/v2_to_v3_migration_js
Category: guides
Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:34:19 pm

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Claude Sonnet 4 Feedback

Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:34:18 pm

Technical Documentation Analysis: AssemblyAI v2 to v3 Migration Guide

Overall Assessment

This migration guide provides a comprehensive overview but suffers from several structural and clarity issues that could frustrate users during migration. The documentation jumps between high-level concepts and detailed implementation without clear transitions.

Critical Issues & Recommendations

1. Structure & Navigation Problems

Issues:

• The complete v3 code example at the beginning is overwhelming (200+ lines)
• Step-by-step guide comes after the full implementation
• No clear visual hierarchy between sections

Recommendations:

# Suggested Structure:
1. Quick Start / TL;DR section
2. Prerequisites & Dependencies
3. Key Differences Overview (table format)
4. Step-by-Step Migration Guide
5. Complete Working Example
6. Testing & Validation
7. Troubleshooting

2. Missing Critical Information

Prerequisites Section Needed:

## Prerequisites

### Dependencies
Install required packages if not already present:
```bash
npm install ws mic querystring

System Requirements

• Node.js version 12+
• Valid AssemblyAI API key with streaming permissions
• Microphone access permissions
• Audio recording capabilities

API Key Setup

1. Get your API key from AssemblyAI Dashboard
2. Replace "YOUR-API-KEY" in the code examples

### 3. **Unclear Message Schema Changes**

**Current Issue:** The message handling section is confusing with mixed old/new formats.

**Improved Format:**
```markdown
## Message Schema Changes

| v2 Field | v3 Field | Notes |
|----------|----------|-------|
| `message_type` | `type` | Field renamed |
| `session_id` | `id` | Field renamed |
| `text` | `transcript` | Field renamed |
| `SessionBegins` | `Begin` | Message type renamed |
| `PartialTranscript` | `Turn` (partial) | Combined into Turn type |
| `FinalTranscript` | `Turn` (formatted) | Use `turn_is_formatted` flag |

### New v3 Fields
- `expires_at`: Session expiration timestamp
- `turn_is_formatted`: Boolean indicating final vs partial transcript
- `audio_duration_seconds`: Total audio processed (Termination message)

4. Inadequate Error Handling Documentation

Add Comprehensive Error Section:

## Error Handling & Common Issues

### Connection Errors
```javascript
ws.on("error", (error) => {
  console.error(`WebSocket Error: ${error.message}`);

  // Check common error causes
  if (error.message.includes('401')) {
    console.error('Authentication failed - check your API key');
  } else if (error.message.includes('ECONNREFUSED')) {
    console.error('Connection refused - check network connectivity');
  }

  cleanup();
});

Graceful Degradation

// Add retry logic for connection failures
const MAX_RETRIES = 3;
let retryCount = 0;

function connectWithRetry() {
  if (retryCount >= MAX_RETRIES) {
    console.error('Max retries reached. Exiting.');
    return;
  }

  // Connection logic here
  retryCount++;
}

### 5. **Better Examples & Use Cases**

**Add Practical Examples:**
```markdown
## Configuration Examples

### Basic Streaming (Minimal Setup)
```javascript
const CONNECTION_PARAMS = {
  sample_rate: 16000
};

Advanced Configuration

const CONNECTION_PARAMS = {
  sample_rate: 16000,
  format_turns: true,        // Get formatted final transcripts
  enable_extra_session_information: true  // Additional session stats
};

Production Configuration

const CONNECTION_PARAMS = {
  sample_rate: 16000,
  format_turns: true,
  word_boost: ["technical", "terminology"],  // Boost specific words
  boost_param: "high"       // Increase boost strength
};

### 6. **Improved Testing Section**

**Expand Testing Guidance:**
```markdown
## Testing Your Migration

### 1. Unit Tests
```javascript
// Test message parsing
function testMessageParsing() {
  const testMessage = '{"type":"Begin","id":"session_123","expires_at":1234567890}';
  const parsed = JSON.parse(testMessage);
  assert(parsed.type === "Begin");
  assert(parsed.id === "session_123");
}

2. Integration Tests

• Test with 10-second audio clip
• Verify partial transcripts arrive < 200ms
• Confirm final transcripts are properly formatted
• Test graceful shutdown (Ctrl+C)

3. Load Testing

• Test continuous streaming for 5+ minutes
• Monitor memory usage over time
• Verify no WebSocket connection leaks

4. Error Scenarios

• Invalid API key (expect 401)
• Network disconnection during streaming
• Malformed audio data
• Rapid connect/disconnect cycles

### 7. **Add Troubleshooting Section**

```markdown
## Troubleshooting

### Issue: "Cannot connect to streaming endpoint"
**Symptoms:** WebSocket connection fails immediately
**Solutions:**
1. Verify API key is correct and has streaming permissions
2. Check firewall/proxy settings for WebSocket traffic
3. Ensure you're using the v3 endpoint URL

### Issue: "No audio being transcribed"
**Symptoms:** Connection successful but no transcription output
**Solutions:**
1. Verify microphone permissions
2. Check audio format (16kHz, 16-bit PCM)
3. Test with `mic.debug = true` to see audio data flow

### Issue: "High memory usage"
**Symptoms:** Memory increases over time during streaming
**Solutions:**
1. Ensure cleanup() is called on all exit paths
2. Clear recordedFrames array periodically if not needed
3. Monitor WebSocket connection state

8. Performance & Best Practices

Add Missing Section:

## Performance Optimization

### Audio Buffer Management
```javascript
// Limit recorded frames to prevent memory issues
const MAX_RECORDED_SECONDS = 300; // 5 minutes
const MAX_FRAMES = MAX_RECORDED_SECONDS * SAMPLE_RATE / 1024;

micInputStream.on("data", (data) => {
  // Trim old frames if buffer gets too large
  if (recordedFrames.length > MAX_FRAMES) {
    recordedFrames = recordedFrames.slice(-MAX_FRAMES);
  }

  recordedFrames.push(Buffer.from(data));

  if (ws && ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
    ws.send(data);
  }
});

Connection Optimization

• Use connection pooling for multiple sessions
• Implement exponential backoff for reconnections
• Monitor session expiration times

### 9. **Security Considerations**

**Add Security Section:**
```markdown
## Security Best Practices

### API Key Management
- Never commit API keys to version control
- Use environment variables: `process.env.ASSEMBLYAI_API_KEY`
- Rotate keys regularly in production environments

### Audio Data Privacy
- The provided example saves audio locally - consider privacy implications
- Implement secure deletion of temporary audio files
- Consider encrypting stored audio data

Summary of Priority Fixes

1. High Priority:

   • Add prerequisites and dependencies section at the top
   • Create a comparison table for v2 vs v3 differences
   • Move the complete code example after the step-by-step guide
   • Add comprehensive error handling examples

2. Medium Priority:

   • Expand testing section with specific test cases
   • Add troubleshooting section with common issues
   • Include performance optimization guidance
   • Add security considerations

3. Low Priority:

   • Improve code comment explanations
   • Add links to related documentation
   • Include estimated migration time
   • Add changelog/version history reference

This restructured approach would significantly improve user experience and reduce

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